The Oakland Athletics have sent Michael Choice and Chris Bostick to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Craig Gentry and Josh Lindblom. Choice, the player with the highest upside involved in the trade was rated as the number 91 prospect in baseball and possesses strong hit and power tools for a corner outfielder. Now in Texas, Choice has the potential to challenge for the last starting outfielder spot in Spring Training. He spent all of 2013 in AAA and batted to a .302/.390/.445 slash line in 510 at bats. Given a chance in Arlington, Choice can become an all-star caliber player that regularly bats .280 with 25 home runs a season. Leonys Martin should keep a cautious eye on Choice and his development because his job will be at risk very soon.

The secondary piece involved in the trade is young second baseman Chris Bostick. Still a prospect in the lower levels of the minor leagues, Bostick has the chance to be a good overall player. He broke out in his first full season at the A level. Bostick hit 14 home runs to go along with 25 stolen bases but he projects to only obtain about ten home runs and stolen bases later on in his career. While nothing in particular stands out with Bostick, he has the potential to be a solid backup infielder at the major league level.

Craig Gentry was sent to the Athletics in return and profiles as the main backup outfielder in Oakland. Gentry main claim to fame is his speed and his fielding. He is an excellent defensive player, having some of the best saber metric fielding statistics over the past few years. In addition to his fielding, Gentry stole 24 bases last season in limited use. If one of the A's outfielders goes out with an injury, the job will fall on the capable shoulders of Craig Gentry.

Josh Lindblom is the final piece in this deal. Lindblom went through some trouble in Texas; being forced to start didn't help. He has walk issues but a good strikeout rate helps to keep his command in check. As a reliever, Lindblom has a career 3.17 ERA but his peripheral stats point to him having closer to a 4.37 xFIP. Either way, Lindblom's upside is that of a low-end middle reliever.

Overall, the Athletics traded away a top prospect and a lower tier prospect for a good backup outfielder and a below average bullpen piece.

Athletics - B-Rangers - A-

For more info on the trade see: http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2013/12/30/5250182/athletics-rumors-craig-gentry-rangers-choice

Image citations in order of page:http://swinginas.com/2013/09/01/the-calvary-is-coming-michael-choice-among-others-called-up-to-oakland/http://www.pickinsplinters.com/2012/08/17/from-nycbl-to-ny-p-bostick-continues-making-the-grade/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1792500-crucial-x-factors-in-tampa-bay-rays-vs-texas-rangers-al-wild-card-play-in-gamehttp://www.zimbio.com/pictures/JTR7Q_TVcgP/Oakland+Athletics+v+Texas+Rangers/zM8VdOl72qr/Josh+Lindblom

Joe Nathanhas signed a two year contract with the Detroit Tigers for $20 million. Having previously closed with the Rangers for two years and the Twins for seven years before that, Nathan had compiled a 2.14 ERA as a closer. He had one of his best seasons yet last year, pitching to a 1.39 ERA and saving 43 games. The Tigers were in the market for a closer after Joaquin Benoit's departure and the failure of Jose Valverde. Nathan seemed to fit the bill well. The Tigers are in win-now mode and Nathan was widely known to be the best closer on the market even though he will be 39 years old when the 2014 season starts. Expect Nathan to continue to dominate batters with his overpowering fastball and slider combination next season.Fantasy Impact - Nathan has the potential to rack up a large number of saves and maintain a low ERA in the closer role. Similarly to prior seasons, Nathan should be one of the first few closers off the board in drafts. He warrants a pick in the 95-110 range.

The Baltimore Orioles have sent Jim Johnson to the Oakland Athletics for Jemile Weeksand David Freitas. Johnson has saved the most games in the MLB over the past two seasons and was looking at an arbitration salary of about $10 million. The Orioles needed to move Johnson so that they did not have to pay that and acquired a young inexpensive second baseman. The Orioles will most likely pursue an outside closing option now that Johnson is gone. The Athletics were willing to spend money this time and acquire a closer since Grant Balfour is a free agent. Oakland now has an experienced closer that will bring them one step closer to the World Series.

In exchange for Johnson, Baltimore received Jemile Weeks to fill their hole at second base. He had an explosive year in 2011, batting to a .761 OPS but has failed to produce since and spent most of last season in the minor leagues. Oakland had second base filled with Nick Punto and Daric Barton and could spare Weeks. The Orioles lost Brian Roberts to free agency and had a big gap at second base that many thought would go to Jonathan Schoop. However, it looks like spring training will decide who plays second base for the Orioles in 2014.

David Freitas was sent to the Orioles as the player to be named later and does not looks like a top twenty prospect in the system. Freitas batted .231 between AA and AAA for Oakland but possesses good power and plate discipline. He is definitely not a franchise catcher but may eventually grow to be a Kelly Shoppach kind of backup in the MLB.

Overall, the Orioles saved about $10 million and parted with a good closer and the Athletics were able to obtain a good closer for a low prospect and a risky second baseman.

Orioles - BAthletics - B+

For more info on the trade see: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/athletics-acquire-jim-johnson-from-orioles-for-jemile-weeks.html

Image citations in order of page:http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-05-11/sports/bal-nononsense-johnson-captures-another-franchise-record-20130510_1_jim-johnson-orioles-franchise-record-randy-myershttp://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/A-s-Weeks-looks-for-a-fresh-start-4303609.phphttp://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20131021&content_id=63214140&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb

Jose Molinahas signed a two year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays for $4.5 million. The catching veteran is known to be a defensive whiz even though he is no longer a force at the plate. Molina has the ability to frame pitches incredibly well and often can decide an at bat. His fellow catcher this past year, Jose Lobaton, may bat slightly better but lacks the defensive qualities that make Molina so underratedly powerful. He has spent just two years in Tampa and has been with four other clubs, always in a backup role. His two brothers, Yadier and Bengie, have also played catcher in the MLB. Tampa Bay values his defense above all else that they decided he warranted this kind of re-signing deal for a player entering his age 38 season. Expect more of the same defensive prowess from Jose Molina as he plays in Tampa Bay for the next two years.

Fantasy Impact - If only there was a such thing as a defensive fantasy league. But since there is not, Molina is one of the worst catchers to own in fantasy and offers little besides putouts.

Predictions - .228, 35 R, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 25 BB, 75 K, 2 SB

For more info on Molina's re-signing see: http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/molina-deal-official-2-years-45-million/2155233

Image citations in order of page: http://baseballnewssource.com/trade-rumors/rays-reach-agreement-with-jose-molina-on-two-year-deal/27353/

The Detroit Tigers have sent Doug Fister to the Washington Nationals for Steve Lombardozzi, Ian Krol, and Robbie Ray. Fister has been a largely underrated starter the past few seasons, compiling a 3.28 ERA over 68 starts for the Tigers. Over that time, he has only served as their fourth starter and will retain that role in Washington. The Tigers saved an estimated $6.7 million in moving Fister, which can now be put towards other positions. Drew Smyly will presumably move into the Detroit rotation after only being able to pitch in long relief this year. In acquiring Fister, the Nats picked up a great fourth starter at a relatively low price and seem to be just patching one hole at a time.

In return, the Tigers received utility player Steve Lombardozzi. In his two seasons (aside from limited time in 2011), Lombardozzi has hit at a .264/.297/.342 rate. While he has not put up solid numbers offensively, he has been great defensively. After signing Nate McLouth, the Nats had no need for Lombardozzi and the Tigers needed a utility player to replace Ramon Santiago. He still has room to grow and is very inexpensive for the moment.

Ian Krol was also sent to the Tigers in the trade and played for the Nationals as a lefty specialist later in the season. He only allowed opponent lefties to bat .220 but the Nats first called him up in early June. The Tigers' bullpen was known to be their biggest weakness in 2013 and Krol should help throughout the season. In trading him away, the Nats now lack a left-handed relief pitcher and will be searching the market.

Arguably the most important player the Nationals sent the Tigers was Robbie Ray. Ray was one of the Nats top pitching prospects after posting a 3.36 ERA over A+ and AA levels in 2013 and projects to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He has a high strikeout potential but needs to perfect his command and control before he can pitch in the MLB. Potentially the wildcard in determining the winner of the trade because he could eventually be better than Fister at a cheaper price for a couple of years.

Overall, the Nationals were able to grab Fister from the Tigers for relatively little in terms of player skill and the Tigers were able to acquire three prospects for a pitcher that can be replaced as well as save payroll space.

Tigers - C+Nationals - A-

For more on the trade see: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10070572/washington-nationals-acquire-doug-fister-trade-detroit-tigers

Image citations in order of page:http://bigstory.ap.org/photo-gallery/mariners-tigers-9192013http://natsinsider.com/2013/10/25/roster-review-steve-lombardozzi/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1874052-biggest-winners-and-losers-of-the-doug-fister-jim-johnson-trades/page/10http://www.pennlive.com/senators/index.ssf/2013/09/robbie_ray_to_the_mound_as_har.html

Scott Kazmirhas signed a two year deal with the Oakland Athletics that will send him a total of $22 million. Kazmir spent 2011 and 2012 in either the minor leagues or an independent league. He received a minor league deal with the Indians before the season and won the fifth spot in the rotation with a strong spring training. Many believe his strikeout potential is back to when he was with the Rays in 2008. The A's picked him to presumably fill the back-end of their rotation behind Straily, Griffin, Gray, and Parker. Kazmir's deal now means Tommy Milone is probably going to be traded. Entering his age 30 season, Kazmir will try to stay as dominant as last year in O.co Coliseum's pitcher-friendly park. Expect Kazmir to build off of last season in his 10th year in the MLB.

Fantasy Impact - Kazmir is risky because of his recent re-introduction to the game but should be able to replicate, if not improve upon his results in the new stadium. He does not warrant a draft pick but could be a good pickup if needed. Strikeouts will also be frequent commodity if in a rotisserie league.

Willie Bloomquisthas signed a two year deal with the Seattle Mariners worth $5.8 million. For a utility player coming off a great, yet partially injured season, this was a good deal. He mostly plays in the middle infield but can also play in the outfield. He now returns to Seattle where he played for seven seasons. While most view this deal as terrible for the Mariners, Bloomquist is capable of much more than people credit him for. If given reasonable playing time, there is no reason to think he could not bat .275 with 5 home runs and 25 stolen bases. Entering his age 36 season, Bloomquist will probably back up second base and shortstop but could be used in the outfield if needed. Expect Bloomquist to be an infrequent contributor because Nick Franklin and Brad Miller can back each other up in the infield. Fantasy Impact- In a deeper league, Bloomquist could represent valuable stolen base potential, but his occasional use should deter enough people. He is not fantasy relevant.

Predictions- .265, 25 R, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 15 BB, 35 K, 10 SB

For more info on Bloomquist's deal see: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10083830/seattle-mariners-sign-willie-bloomquist-2-year-deal

Image citations in order of page: http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Willie+Bloomquist/Arizona+Diamondbacks+v+Los+Angeles+Dodgers/hnOdVikgmdQ

Dioner Navarrohas signed a two year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays worth $8 million. He has improved drastically the past two seasons after only being able to hit around the Mendoza line for a while. In limited action with the Cubs, Navarro hit 13 home runs and batted .300. He will now replace J.P. Arencibia as the starting catcher in Toronto because he only hit .194 this season. If he can replicate his results with the Cubs the money will be well spent on a power hitting and high average catcher. Entering his age 30 season, Navarro should see an uptick in power but a decline in his average in the AL.

Fantasy Impact - Navarro doesn't look like a friendly pick for most standard leagues. In two catcher leagues, though, he can be a sleeper for 20+ home runs and can DH.

Predictions - .275, 45 R, 20 HR, 50 RBI, 30 BB, 55 K, 0 SB

For more info on Navarro's signing see: http://tipofthetower.com/2013/12/02/report-blue-jays-sign-catcher-dioner-navarro/

Image citations in order of page: http://sportspyder.com/players/5956-jeff-mathis/news

Phil Hugheshas signed a three year deal with the Minnesota Twins worth $24 million. Over the past seven years with the Yankees, the biggest problem for Hughes has been Yankee Stadium. The once coveted first rounder could not handle the ball at home and the statistics tell the true story. Hughes career line at home: 4.96 ERA, 1.69 HR/9, 1.38 WHIP, 4.80 FIP Hughes career line away: 4.10 ERA, 0.86 HR/9, 1.26 WHIP, 3.78 FIP. The Twins, in their effort to rebuild, picked up Hughes for potentially a great deal. If the 3.78 FIP can be used as a benchmark, Hughes could've earned $50-60 million this offseason. He represents the second big signing of the winter for the Twins after the team pitched to the worst ERA in the MLB in 2013. Entering his age 27 season, Hughes still has time to improve in a less batter-friendly ballpark. Expect a turnaround from Hughes after so many accusations that he couldn't handle major league hitters.Fantasy Impact - Hughes could end up being a good starter in standard leagues but should be kept on the bench for the first few weeks to see how he fares. He shouldn't be drafted but rather picked up if another starter goes down or he plays well enough to earn a spot on a roster.

Ryan Vogelsong has re-signed with the San Francisco Giants on a one year deal worth $5 million. He has spent his career between the Pirates and Giants and this deal will make for his sixth year in San Francisco. Vogelsong suffered from a fractured hand after being hit by a pitch in May and lost nearly three months of the season. When he did play though, he performed miserably, only averaging a little more than five innings a start and pitching to a 5.73 ERA. This is in most part die to the lack of velocity on his pitches; all of his pitches were about two mph slower than in years past (some attribute this to his participation in the World Baseball Classic). Entering his age 36 season, Vogelsong hopes to move on from any playing setbacks. Expect the veteran to man the fifth spot in the Giants' rotation but it seems like his best days are behind him.Fantasy Impact - Vogelsong should not be on a fantasy roster unless the league is extremely scarce on pitching.